Guys and Dolls
by Little Gem Magnolia
Summary: Here's to the Losers: He was rich and accustomed to getting what he wanted and he wasn't about to let some barber cheat him out of what he considered his birthright.
1. Luck Be a Lady

_Guys and Dolls_

Disclaimer: I do not own X-Men Evolution, the characters, _Guys and Dolls_ or the song _Luck Be a Lady_.

Summary: She was the infamous Lady Luck of Iceman Drake's underground gambling circuit and she would soon be his. [AU]

A/N: This fic is named after and inspired by the musical _Guys and Dolls_. The chapters will be named after Frank Sinatra songs so the chapter titles don't belong to me. This will not exactly be linear either; I apologize for any confusion this might cause.

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The room was dimly lit and stifling hot. Both the lack of air and light were supposed to give the illusion that the building wasn't occupied this late at night should a policeman drive by on his nightly rounds. _Berzerk_ Ray Crisp had been kind enough to lend his store for the illegal floating casino and it would not do to be caught.

High roller Roberto da Costa scanned the room as he waited for all the bets to be placed at the craps table. He could see her making her way across the room, showering luck on all of the unfortunate souls around. She would massage their shoulders as they played cards, blow on their dice before they rolled or just stand by their sides as they picked horses for the next day's race.

She was _Lady Luck_.

She had a staggering reputation of ensuring a win to any man she so much as stood next to and he wanted her. She was beautiful with legs that went on for miles and she would make him a fortune...

Among _other_ things.

He wasn't sure how exactly but he knew with a hundred percent certainty that she would be his.

Her silky voice, wishing some hapless loser luck, floated toward him and his eyes closed as her tone washed over him. She was enticing and all encompassing. She made him momentarily forget what he was supposed to be doing.

"What's gotten into you tonight, Da Costa?" _Multiple_ Madrox sneered from across the table. "You're not turning yellow on us, are you?"

His eyes snapped open and he glared at the younger man. "Don't be stupid," he began, brushing off the insult with a careless wave of his hand. "There's not a one of you here who hasn't seen me roll with more money on the line."

One by one he watched as various gamblers around the table nodded and smirked in satisfaction. He was the last person that anyone should _ever_ accuse of being yellow.

He took one last glance around the room, hoping to spot her before he rolled but she was nowhere to be found. Sighing, he shook the dice and prepared to throw but stopped short when he felt hands caress his shoulders.

"Need a bit of luck?"

The voice was low and right by his ear, so close he could feel her breath on his skin. He looked over his shoulder and found her there, seductive eyes on his hand still poised for the roll. Taking the hint he unfurled his fingers and she leaned forward, chest brushing his arm as she pursed her lips and blew on the dice.

The warm flow of air over his hand sent chills down his spine and the feel of her body against him made his groin tighten. She would be the death of him and he didn't even know her name.

Pulling himself together, he shook the dice once more and rolled.

Eleven.

He won. Not that there had ever been any doubt that he would with her by his side.

He turned back to her just in time to see her smile before she turned and prepared to continue her tour of the room. Panicked and desperate to keep her there with him, he grabbed her arm and pulled her back to him.

"I must offer my thanks and entreat you to stay," he began, watching her face closely for any sign as to what she was thinking.

She laughed and shook her head. "You've had your taste of luck for tonight. Why not let some other man have his turn?" Her voice was throaty and controlled but her eyes held a curious gleam.

She was no doubt wondering what his angle was.

"It's not nice to leave your escort to roam the room and blow on some other guy's dice," he whispered pulling her closer, his words were for her ears only.

"You forget yourself," she began teasingly, subtly trying to move away from him. "You are not my escort. I did not come here with you."

His hand tightened marginally on her arm, keeping her in place. "But you just might be leaving with me if you play your cards right."

A hearty laugh escaped her then and the sound attracted more than a few looks from the other men at the crap table. "I do not gamble, good sir. I am merely the good luck piece of the organizer."

His eyes narrowed at the mention of her belonging to the _Iceman_ but he forced his grip on her to stay gentle and his tone to stay light. "But you'd make a fantastic gambler with luck such as yours." She skeptically raised an eyebrow and attempted to withdraw again. "You would not even care to take a chance on me?"

His punctuating pout made her giggle despite herself and he smiled at the sound.

She was so beautiful.

Drawing closer to him, she ran her free hand down his chest. "I would _love_ to take a chance on you after hours. If you play your cards right, that is," she teased, smiling coquettishly and pushing away from him with a mischievous gleam in her eyes.

This time he allowed her to leave his embrace and continue her tour around the room.

He turned back to the table with a self-satisfied smirk but was met with knowing stares and shaking heads.

"What?" he wondered nonchalantly.

_Cannonball_ Sam laughed. "You won't ever get anywhere with her," he began, carelessly throwing money down for the next roll. "Some of Drake's dames are easy but not that one. She's turned down every other guy in the room."

Roberto's eyes twinkled with mirth as he leaned across the table. "Ah but I'm not every other guy," he reminded, throwing his own money down.

Sam's air of merriment abruptly turned sour. "She's a tough doll, I'm telling you," he insisted, only to be interrupted by Madrox.

"Every broad Drake has brought in here has fallen to at least one of us," the younger man explained. "Hell, _Berzerk_ and the _Firecracker_ might even take the walk of death they're so serious, but _Magma_-"

"_Magma_?" Roberto cut-in curiously.

"_Lady Luck_. She's a dancehall girl down at Xavier's on weekends, goes by the stage name of _Lady Magma_," Sam elaborated, leaning forward to keep his words quiet. "No one knows her real name or anything about her. Not even the _Iceman_."

"Then how did he recruit her?"

"Jubes brought her in one day, they're roommates or something. Met down at the club."

Roberto rubbed his chin; this situation was getting interesting. This _Magma_, this _Lady Luck_ was ever the enigma apparently and his want for her increased by the second. In a world where secrets were dangerous - a section of New York's nightlife that, if brought to the light of day could completely ruin a professional career such as his and so made lies and deceit dangerous to one's livelihood - he found himself drawn to this mystery of a woman who could completely bring his empire of independent wealth down around his knees should she get too close.

Getting close to her without revealing too much about himself would be tricky but it was a challenge he was prepared for. He had a feeling she would be well worth it.

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	2. I've Got You Under My Skin

_Guys and Dolls_

Disclaimer: I do not own _X-Men Evolution_, any of the characters, _Guys and Dolls _or the _Frank Sinatra_ songs referenced in the chapter titles.

Summary: He wasn't stalking her. Rich men did not stalk. He was merely pursuing an interest._  
_

A/N: I would like to thank _UntouchableHexingWitch_ for reviewing _Luck Be A Lady_ and supporting me in all of my Amarto endeavors. Your feedback keeps me writing and your kind counsel always catches me just when I feel like I want to give up. Your reviews and friendship mean everything to me and so I have decided to dedicate_ Guys and Dolls _to you. I hope you enjoy it, sweetie.

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Roberto wasn't entirely sure what he was expecting Xavier's atmosphere to be like but one thing was certain: the place didn't match his expectations at all. And for the life of him he couldn't figure out whether or not that was a good thing.

Whereas most dancehalls came off as a bit cheap and seedy, Xavier's was more of a high-class gentleman's bar. The girls walking around weren't scantily clad and they didn't come on to the patrons in a trashy manner either. The entire establishment seemed to be professional, clinical even.

Still, it was hard to imagine _her_ here.

He had known what type of girl she had been the moment he'd met her - and if he hadn't, he'd been made aware of the situation almost immediately. The guys of the gambling circuit had hastened to enlighten him almost joyously and, while it irked him that they had all tried their hand at being with her, it pleased him immensely to know that none of them had succeeded.

She had taste. He liked that.

Unless she had her sights set on the _Iceman_, of course. _That_, he found, he didn't like so much.

On the one hand it amused him that he had been ensnared so easily, especially given his personal reputation; he was well known for having been around. On the other hand, however, it was a bit frightening. He knew nothing about this woman, nothing at all, yet he felt compelled to find out more about her. One taste of her and he had thrown all of his weekend plans out the window to check out Xavier's just in order to see her. Catch a glimpse of her.

He was missing an informal business rendezvous for this. What the hell was wrong with him?

As soon as he saw her take the stage he decided that whatever it was, it didn't matter.

She was as beautiful as he remembered and, while he didn't rightly appreciate the fact that she had captured the eye of every male in the room, he couldn't deny that she deserved the attention. There were some attractive women walking around Xavier's establishment but she had to be the best looking dame he'd ever seen, hands down.

And he'd seen enough skirts for that to be a testament of substantial meaning.

His companion shifted from one foot to the other uneasily and Roberto reluctantly dragged his eyes from the stage to the taller man beside him. He'd almost forgotten he'd even brought company.

In all the time they'd been acquainted he didn't think he'd ever seen _Berzerk_ Ray so damn jumpy.

"I hate being here," he muttered, glancing at the stage before quickly averting his eyes.

Roberto's eyebrows rose in question as he turned back to the main attraction with _Lady Magma_ out front, bewitching the crowd. "That little sparkler of yours has you hooked doesn't she?" he teased with a smirk, eyes never straying the beauty entertaining the crowd to even glance at the other girls.

Blue eyes narrowed, shooting a dangerous glare in the Brazilian hotshot's direction. "I just don't like all these goons ogling her, that's all."

A deep chuckle escaped the swarthy crapshooter and he clapped the blonde on the shoulder. "You sound as though you've resigned yourself to the isle, my friend," he laughed. "Never thought I'd see the day."

"I haven't taken the leap yet," Ray bit back, eyes narrowing further. "I'm still a free man."

Roberto shook his head. "Tell _her_ that and let me know how it works out," he declared, moving past the younger man and deeper into the club.

He didn't have to turn around to know that Ray was following him. Despite hating the situation he knew that his fellow gambler wouldn't dare leave while his little _spark shot_ was on stage. She was too sought after to leave alone in any case. Too many men wanted what Crisp had for him to take a chance like that.

It wasn't smart.

"When does the show end?" Roberto wondered as they found an empty table toward the bar.

Ray was silent for a moment and Roberto wondered if he would be ignored. "In about an hour," he finally muttered.

Checking his watch with a quick flick of his wrist, Roberto estimated that would be around twelve and mentally filed the information away for later. It would do well for him to remember her schedule if he decided to pursue her further.

000

The hour went by rather quickly for Roberto but he was sure Ray would disagree. His friend had fidgeted the entire time, expression borderline homicidal on occasion and Roberto found the hothead's reactions rather fascinating.

Would he be the same way when he finally snared the right woman?

Would he stew in silence as she paraded herself around for her wages? Or would he demand she stop working and live off of his vast wealth? Demand that she allow him to take care of her?

Would she concede? Or would she fight him?

His eyes found her as she descended the stage, chatting animatedly with Jubilee.

_She_ would fight him. He could just tell. In fact he was almost certain, without even knowing her, that her temper could match his own.

They could be exciting together. They could be volatile in the most pleasant way imaginable.

It sent a thrill through him just thinking about it.

Ray stood as his lady love made her way over to them, bringing the _Lady Magma_ with her.

He smiled. Let the prey come to him.

Yes, Ray was the best man to bring along for this mission; he was proving to be quite useful.

"Sweetie," Jubilee purred, immediately rushing to Ray's side. The tall, lanky man instantly wrapped her in his embrace, much to the dismay of many of Xavier's patrons. "You're early."

He nodded and gestured toward Roberto, bringing his presence to the attention of the tiny Asian woman. _Magma_, he noticed, didn't need to be made aware. Her eyes had been glued to the handsome tycoon since they'd arrived at the table. "Bobby's in town on business and wanted to take in the show to unwind," he explained, weaving a convincing falsehood out of thin air.

Quite useful indeed.

Jubilee turned startled eyes to him, as though seeing him for the first time. "Oh Mr. Da Costa. It's a pleasure to see you again," she greeted pleasantly, a genuine smile on her face as she allowed Ray to support more of her body weight.

Roberto cordially took her hand, bending at the waist and giving the back of her hand a swift kiss. He wouldn't dare linger too long as he had no desire to trigger Ray's ire. "The pleasure is all mine, Ms. Lee," he returned. "Or should I say _Mrs. Crisp_?"

Jubilee blushed at the teasing wink sent in her direction, bashfully hiding her reddening face in the lapels of Ray's pinstripe. Ray cuffed his shoulder and Roberto looked up to see his blue eyes crinkling at the corners. The man couldn't hide his joy at the thought of making the young dancer his own if he tried.

A throaty laugh from his right caught his attention and Roberto turned back to the reason he was even there in the first place. "Ah," he began, as though just noticing her. "It's a pleasure to see you again as well," he drawled, gently taking her hand and kissing it as well.

The exotic beauty smirked and began to pull away when he turned her hand over and kissed her palm. When he received no objection, his lips traveled to the inside of her wrist where he felt her pulse racing. Deciding to see how far his luck would go, he moved up her arm, inch by inch, savoring the taste of her skin as he would a fine wine.

He finally met with resistance at her shoulder, where she put a finger under his chin and gently raised his face to meet hers. "It seems as though a man who gambles, gambles in every aspect of his life, doesn't it, Mr. Da Costa?"

"Only when the jackpot is as gorgeous as you." He sent her a toothy grin for good measure, boyish dimples on display.

A coy twinkle lit up her chestnut-colored eyes and she leaned forward. "Not only a gambler but a charmer as well," she breathed flirtatiously, lips lightly brushing his as she spoke.

"You've never heard of the infamous Da Costa charm?" Ray inquired, expression properly aghast. "What rock have you been hiding under?"

Jubilee laughed and smacked his stomach lightly. "The rock of intelligence," she began tauntingly. "Watch that one, Amara. He's broken many a heart, or so I'm told."

_Amara_? What an intriguing name. An enchanting name befitting an enchanting lady.

Amara's eyes took on a sly quality as she fixed him with a side glance. "Is that so?" she wondered, dragging her words out in a tantalizing manner. "It seems as though you're a..._busy_ man, Mr. Da Costa."

His eyes narrowed in displeasure as he noted the change in her tone.

"Well," Jubilee chirped, interrupting his thoughts and thwarting his attempt at a comeback. "We'd love to stand here all night and chat but we've got to go change. Maybe we could all go grab a bite to eat after we're done," she suggested, kissing Ray's cheek and bouncing off without receiving an answer.

Amara laughed that sensual laugh of hers and tugged her hand from his. "You cold join us," she offered mischievously. "If you're not too_ busy_, that is."

And with that she turned and sashayed toward the backstage dressing rooms. He mentally cursed, certain she put a little extra sway in that strut just for him.

A boisterous laugh erupted from next to him and he turned to Ray with a glare.

"Looks like you're well on your way to resigning, my friend," he laughed, slapping Roberto on the back only to receive a glare in return.

If she were any other woman her snark would turn him off. If he were a lesser man he would bring this chase to its conclusion and look for another, more pliable skirt to spend his time on. But she was not any other woman and he was not a lesser man.

He would turn this game to his favor even if he had to go all in to do it.

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	3. Here's to the Losers

_Guys and Dolls_

Disclaimer: I do not own X-Men Evolution, the characters, Guys and Dolls or any of the Sinatra songs referenced in this fic.

Summary: He was rich and accustomed to getting what he wanted and he wasn't about to let some_ barber _cheat him out of what he considered his birthright.

* * *

Jubilee smirked as she caught sight of him. He wasn't hard to spot. He was perhaps the most conspicuous man in the entire club.

It didn't hurt that he was standing next to Ray either. Crisp always caught her attention.

"He's here," she whispered, nudging her friend from behind the curtain.

They were set to go on in five.

Amara laughed and shook her head. "What's new? He's always here," she deadpanned, not even sparing her friend a glance as she finished her last minute preparations.

It was true. Ever since their impromptu meeting at Crisp's store during one of _Iceman's_ casino nights, he'd been hanging around Xavier's like a lost pooch waiting for table scraps. Every night he would arrive just before the show, dark eyes riveted to the stage and its star. Every night he would find a way to interact with her, if only for a moment; though more often than not their interactions lasted the duration of the night through the ingenious plotting of the future Mr. and Mrs. Crisp.

He had wormed his way into her life, becoming a permanent fixture and it scared her. He was shadowing her, always around and his intensity was frightening. Her only respite from him had been for a week when he'd left on business to Rio and she was ashamed to say that she had missed him.

She'd missed looking out into the audience to find him there.

She'd missed walking out to meet Ray with Jubilee and seeing him standing there, waiting for her in his own way.

She'd missed catching his eye at _Iceman's_ casino locations.

But most of all she had missed talking to him 'til the wee hours of the morning in some quaint coffee shop long after Ray and Jubilee had retired.

It was difficult to think that maybe, just maybe, she was getting attached.

Women such as she most definitely did not get attached.

It was impossible.

She was an independent, working woman in the middle of a man's world. She didn't _need_ some alpha male to protect her. She didn't _need_ some business shark's riches to provide for her. She was woman, hear her roar. She'd learned to do without and did so when it was necessary, though, more often than not, she made sure it wasn't necessary.

She used men like Roberto da Costa. She chewed them up and spit them out. She clung to them, built up their egos and used their raging libidos and abundant funds for her own uses before discarding them in favor of new prey.

She was a man-eater and he was lunch.

"What are you going to do about it?" Jubilee asked, suddenly tearing herself away from the curtain and turning to her friend.

An elegant eyebrow rose in question as the other woman cast a sidelong glance her way. "What do you mean?"

The young Asian rolled her eyes as the house lights began to dim. "Are you going to pursue?"

"I thought I was the one being pursued?" Amara threw back obtusely, resting a hand on her cocked hip.

Jubilee rolled her eyes. "I think we both know that you can easily turn this game around on him if you wanted to." A pause as their introduction came to a close. "So are you?"

A sly smirk graced the exotic beauty's face and she replied: "You know, I haven't decided yet," before the curtain rose and they were on.

000

Jubilee shot Amara a sly grin as Roberto lavished her with praise of her performance, completely ignoring the younger woman as though she hadn't been on that stage right alongside her.

He was smitten. She had a sixth sense about these things.

And she wasn't entirely sure what Amara's hold up was but, in her professional opinion, she should pounce while she had his attention. Men like Roberto da Costa weren't easily enthralled and usually weren't so for long. She should take advantage of the situation while the cards were in her favor.

Jubilee shook her head and struggled to focus on the two in front of her but Ray's wandering hands were distracting. "Quit that," she whispered, smacking his hand away from her backside. "I'm studying."

Ray laughed boisterously, prompting a glare from his petite girlfriend. Luckily for her, the pair in front of them either didn't notice or didn't care. "Studying?" His tone was playfully incredulous. "Studying what?"

But he was ignored as Jubilee's eyes widened. Sam was approaching.

_Cannonball_ Sam owned a barbershop near Crisp's store. He was a simple, down-home boy who seemed a bit out of place in the big city but he was crafty. According to Crisp, he was somehow in league with _Iceman's_ floating casino, providing funds and taking a cut of each night's profit. Just _how_ involved he was and how big a cut he received she'd never been able to find out.

She'd always been a little wary of the seemingly well-mannered country boy but hadn't really been forced into contact with him until he'd taken a shine to Amara when she'd first started working at the club. Amara, however, didn't seem to share her reservations and had always played the bumpkin for everything he was worth, as was her way.

Amara was, in many ways, a manipulator. It was hard making it alone as a woman in a man's world. Women didn't get paid nearly as much as men did for almost identical jobs so as a result, her friend had learned to play up her strengths in order to get a little outside help. Amara had no qualms flattering a rich man in order to attain gifts or favor and was, in fact, quite talented at the practice. Jubilee even knew of an instance where she'd acted as a _trophy date _in order to make a young, budding businessman appear more important.

Even though they were friends, and good friends at that, Amara was forever an enigma and Jubilee was anxious to see how she would play this situation. Sure she'd seen her friend deal with two admirers at once but, then again, she'd never actually been attracted to one of her admirers before either.

Jubilee watched with great interest as the young blonde inserted himself between Roberto and Amara, demanding all of the young dancer's attention.

"You looked great up there, doll," he drawled, unique twang severely out of place in the dimly lit club that simply screamed: New York and embodied everything the busy city stood for.

Amara smiled sweetly, not even batting an eyelash at the sudden interruption of her conversation. Jubilee giggled quietly and waited for the flirtatious comment that she knew her friend couldn't help making but her giggles quickly ceased as Roberto smoothly slipped beside Amara and wrapped his arm around her.

"She _was_ amazing, wasn't she?" he praised genially, eyes betraying the civility his tone conveyed. In fact, if Jubilee were to be completely honest, he was a bit frightening as he leered at Sam, dark orbs practically glowing in the club's dim light.

One look at Amara's floored expression would let anyone know that this was an unforeseen altercation and, though it was refreshing to see the normally composed beauty thrown off her game, Jubilee rushed to her aid.

"Yes she was," she agreed with a wide grin, dimples on display. "It was great seeing you again, Sam but we were all just about to head to the Hawk's Nest for a little cool down. Perhaps we'll all catch up some other time."

Amara shot her a relieved smile and was about to confirm Jubilee's story when Sam cut her off.

"What a coincidence," he exclaimed with poorly concealed irritation. "I was just about to head over there myself. Why don't we all go together?" He sealed the suggestion by offering his arm to Amara, who took it hesitantly.

Jubilee shook her head and nudged Ray into motion as the pair passed them. She didn't need to look behind her to know that Roberto was following; somehow she just knew.

000

Roberto was not one to sulk, or at least not one to admit it, so Jubilee found it immensely humorous to find the young entrepreneur doing just that every time Sam caught Amara's attention.

Ray, seemingly oblivious to the tension at their table, actively ran his hand up her leg in an attempt at distraction but this situation was just too good to pass up. They were seated across from Amara, Sam and Roberto at the wide table near the dance floor. Amara, ever the center of attention, sat between the two men who constantly battled for her affection in various ways.

Sam bought her a drink because she looked thirsty.

Roberto bought her dinner because she must have been famished after the show.

Sam bought her a rose from a sweet old man peddling flowers in the restaurant.

Roberto bought the man out.

The game seemed to continue on forever until Sam raised the stakes and headed for the dance floor, slipping the band an undisclosed amount of money to play something romantic.

Before he could even make his way back to the table, Roberto hijacked his opportunity and asked Amara to dance.

The blonde now sat at the table across from she and Ray, sullenly staring out at the pair on the dance floor. Roberto had kept Amara out there for at least an hour, maybe more. She didn't seem to be suffering, though. Roberto was apparently a rather charming dance partner as Amara was always caught either laughing or nestled contently in his arms as he swung her around the dance floor, no doubt whispering sweet nothings to her.

Roberto certainly was a smooth operator and Jubilee, content that her friend was in good hands, finally allowed Ray to continue his advances to a more receptive audience. In the back of her mind she felt a bit bad for Sam but in the end someone had to lose and, unfortunately for him, Roberto da Costa just wasn't loser material.

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